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September 17, 2014

Welcome to our homeschooling space! The major change we did for this year is switching out the table for a round one , which I scored on craigslist, and this was to accommodate Soul (and eventually Glow). See previous set up here and here. Additionally, we added chairs and removed the bench, and I switched out the 3 hanging halo lights for one Koushi inspired one. I feel our space is functional and pretty.

The round table now gives everyone a spot at the table. Soul used to work, more like play, on the small spool table, but I find she’s more interested in learning now that she has an official spot. Glow is still napping during our school time, so she doesn’t sit at the table yet. The chairs are found items from Anthropologie and I love the interesting shape of them; I also love the school chair vibe they have, and apparently they were from Belgium in the 1960’s. I have had my eye on those chairs for a few years now and wanted them for dining room chairs, but Ben wasn’t feeling them for that purpose. Though when we switched out the table, I knew these chairs would be perfect for this spot, and Ben agreed.

The girls sit at the table for our lessons and discussions. I use the white board to draw and write on and I love that it feels like our own mini classroom. The metal cabinet houses paper, lots of books, math manipulatives, school supplies, but all our current teaching guides and workbooks sit in a wooden crate right next to it, I just pull it out when I need it. We have pocket charts to hold our flash cards and such, one was bought when I worked as a public teacher, and the fabric printed one is from my book, Let’s Sew Together (you can get the instructions on how-to make your own in there!). We have metal baskets hanging to house pencils, pens, markers, and additional craft supplies.

On the other side, there’s the hanging basket chair, which I scored on craigslist for $30, but from a New Jersey listing. Coincidentally, my friend happened to be road tripping through, picked it up for me, and grey hound shipped it to Southern California. Great friend, right?! The girls love to read in that chair! We have a cot (scored on ebay) and the girls love to lounge there too. This side is more where they play, do projects, and read, it’s a nice comfy area. I got the rug recently from Rugs USA. I’ve loved that style for awhile, but wasn’t sure where to get it, but then over labor day it was 80% off, so I purchased it. That space looked like it was missing something to pull all the furniture together, and it was all just floating on carpet, so I think the rug brings it together nicely, even if it is still on carpet. The texture is different, so it works for me. The hanging chalkboard is another project found in my book, and the girls change up the drawings on it from time to time.

We use an IKEA clothes rack to hang our giant tablet paper, and we use that to write our poems or do diagrams. I drag that rack over closer to the round table when we need it.

This room has been loved (I have four kids after all), so the carpet is really worn, there’s plenty of stains on the carpet, and the walls aren’t really white, more like a cream-grey with lots of fingers prints and crayon/marker drawings all over the place. If you look closely, you’ll see some of it (note: the red lipstick drawings on the carpet). I love our set up though, it’s a happy and bright place for learning, and I’m thankful to have this spot in our home to do our homeschooling.

I love that the room functions great for your girls but also caters to your style! So even mom gets to enjoy the aesthetics 😉
By the way, you must be pretty good at finding stuff on Craigs, I always miss things by a hair! I would love a post on how you have furnished your home with flea market, second-hand and sale items from brand stores

Craigslist does take patience. I check different search items from time to time to see if anything pops up. I have a mental list of things I’m keeping an eye out for, but your suggestion for a post is definitely a good one!

What a great space! We just started homeschooling and I’ve been wanting to introduce some sewing, so i just ordered your book! Can I tell you though, I am so excited to see that your amazing fabric pocket chart is in there! Love it and can’t wait to try it!!

this space is so great- i love it! thanks for sharing it! we homeschool too, but don’t have an extra room to designate to it. we just sit at the kitchen table and have a cabinet with all the books and supplies in it there as well. so boring, i know! 🙂 we actually found that this works best for us. two houses ago we had a designated table, etc. and as life happened, i found i needed to be two places at once quite often- available for school questions and making lunch, etc. being at the center of our home makes it easier for us- especially as my girls got older and school spanned the day instead of being for a couple/few hours. not that you need to hear any of that at all! just sayin’! 🙂

Not boring at all! We tried that but then it would get really messy at lunch time, so I thought it was easier to just separate for us. But I totally see how being in the center makes perfect sense. We do go to the kitchen to do our science experiments, but I find we need the white board, so we go upstairs to do write-ups. I love the diversity in homeschooling and how different families do things.

i totally agree that being able to tailor homeschooling to individual needs is one of its greatest qualities! thanks for all you share- i really do love catching a glimpse of all the love and creativity happening over there! so inspiring and always brings a smile to my day!

What is the first languages book? I’ve been trying to find a good language curriculum to teach my boys (and myself) but keep coming short with even finding one. I want them to learn Spanish now and I never took a language at all ever other than English! I homechool too. Let me know please?? I wear reading glasses and can’t see it!

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